Second Chances
by IdaMarielle
Summary: Just as Astrid realizes she is in love with her best friend Henry Haddock, he falls for someone else. Heartbroken, she ends up leaving for Europe right after graduation. What happens when she stumbles into him again, seven years later? Modern AU. Hiccstrid.
1. Prologue

-.-.-

It was almost completely dark outside but the chilly night air soothed their bodies after a long run. They ended up collapsing on an abandoned bench next to the lake. "I missed this," she confessed.

"Me too." He grasped her hand, entwining it with his.

She nearly revealed her heart's deepest secret that night.

-.-.-

"Astrid!" she heard her name echo over the chattering around her. She didn't have to turn around to know to whom this voice belonged to. She heard it twice more as she bent to get her luggage ready for check-in.

Someone touched her shoulder then, stilling her movement. Bracing herself for another potential heartbreak, she slowly turned around to greet familiar eyes. They were filled with so much sadness she nearly forgot about her own turmoil.

"Astrid," he whispered hoarsely, looking more worn than she had ever seen him.

She regarded him a timid smile, but then her gaze switched to the person standing behind him.

"I have to go," she said softly, embracing him one last time before bidding him a final adieu with a kiss on the cheek.

His pained expression didn't ebb, and she almost considered rethinking her decision in that moment.

"Astrid, are you coming?" she heard Ruff call for her impatiently.

Astrid gave him an apologetic look. "I'll call you," she promised, trying to keep her voice as neutral as possible despite feeling broken on the inside. "Take care of him," she nodded towards his girlfriend who silently nodded back.

Hiccup reached for her again, but she merely squeezed his hand before letting go.

"Goodbye Hiccup."

-.-.-


	2. Chapter 1

I.

Astrid Hofferson was faster than all the other kids around her age. She was on the school's swim team and the captain of her volleyball team. Rarely could anyone outrun her.

That is until Henry Haddock shot up a few inches, and Astrid suddenly found herself with some serious competition.

She was initially disheartened by Henry stealing her thunder, taking claims of her titles and directing everyone's attention to him. He was no longer a shy wallflower peeking through his fingers, or swallowing back laughs to stay undetected. Although he kept the nickname _'Hiccup'_ given to him in primary school by his cousin _,_ it was no longer chanted in mockery but in admiration. Hiccup wasn't weird, he was _unique_. There was no one else like him.

It took Astrid some time to warm up to him since she didn't care for his popularity or newly obtained status.

After being shelled out publicly by his father, Hiccup spoke up for the first time. With no pretenses or care for his image. It was the bravest thing Astrid had witnessed. Her respect for him grew even further when he decided to stay true to himself despite the fallout with his peers.

In the wake of the episode, she found him sitting alone on a bench outside, head resting in his hands. She hesitated slightly before lowering down next to him and placing a calming hand on his shoulder. He looked startled by her close proximity but said nothing.

Astrid smiled at him, trying to ease the tension. "That was really brave, what you did."

Hiccup snorted. "Right. That must be why everyone has turned their backs on me again," he muttered.

"Not everyone," she corrected him.

His eyes widened comically at her admission. She bit back a smile.

"Why?"

Astrid shrugged. "You stand up for what you believe in," she replied. "And I have realized.. you never really changed. You are still the same. The same old Hiccup."

He snorted, lips turning downwards. "Look how far that's got me," he muttered under his breath.

She grabbed his hand then.

"Farther than you think," she told him softly. "You will see."

II.

Henry Haddock was Astrid's best friend. What started out as a casual study date after school had turned into an intense gaming session and reciting corny movie lines. The two quickly uncovered their common interests over the weeks, resulting in a close friendship.

It was almost strange to imagine a world without Hiccup now. Astrid wouldn't ever want to.

"What's up with that goofy smile?" Hiccup elbowed her gently in the ribs. Astrid quickly returned the sentiment. Although she wasn't as gentle.

"Thanks," Hiccup muttered sarcastically, rubbing his side.

Astrid stuck out her tongue at him.

"So what has been up with you lately? You seem kinda spaced out."

Astrid shook her head and then grabbed onto his arm as they strode down the lane. It was a feverish weather, they tried to stay in the shade as much as possible. Astrid was half-tempted to challenge Hiccup into a race, but walking arm in arm felt nice, too.

"Hiccup, do you ever feel like things worked out for the better?"

Hiccup laughed. "What do you mean?"

She leaned her head against his shoulder, beaming to herself before replying, "I had to quit the volleyball team because of my injury and it really bothered me at first," she mused. "But now I'm starting to see some perks to it."

"Such as?"

"More time to waste on you," she replied cheekily.

Hiccup playfully swatted her head away. "Treasure it while it lasts, Hofferson," he joked, and then pulled her close again.

III.

Astrid had woken up feeling unusually gloom. Her mood didn't improve for the better as she left for school. There was lots of chattering going on around her, people staring and whispering. She felt nervousness bubble up inside her under their scrutinizing gazes.

"Astrid!" she heard Ruff before she even saw her. The taller blonde enveloped her in a warm hug, patting her back lightly.

Her other friend Heather also offered her condolences.

Astrid stepped back from them, frowning at their behavior. "Rebecca, what is going on?"

Ruff gave her a sad look. "You know we are here for you, right?" She then pulled Astrid into another hug, and this time, Heather joined in as well.

Astrid sighed. "Tell me what is going on, guys," she growled under her breath. "Please."

"You didn't hear?" Heather gave her puzzled look.

"Hear what?"

"Hiccup and that new girl," Ruff explained. "I think, Camilla was her name."

Astrid looked taken aback. "What?"

Ruff offered her friend a sympathetic look. "You can do better, Ast," she tried to reassure. "He never deserved you anyway."

Before Astrid could muster up a retort to Ruff's comment, she saw _them_.

Hiccup was walking next to a brunette. She was pretty, Astrid supposed. It didn't seem as scandalous as Ruff and Heather were making it out to be, until Camilla suddenly pulled Hiccup into a hug, to which he returned with an awkward pat.

"Seriously guys!" Astrid rolled her eyes at her friends. "Hiccup is polite and welcoming to everyone. That's what makes him _Hiccup_. Why do you two always jump to conclusions? Besides," Astrid grabbed onto her arm self-consciously, "Hiccup and I are _just_ friends," she mumbled.

The girls still gave her pitiful glances. Astrid contemplated kicking Ruff in the knee when she patted her on the back again. But then a certain tousled auburn haired boy suddenly turned her way and smiled. Astrid's annoyance melted right away. Replaced by sheer contentment and budding excitement.

IV.

"Astrid, you are going to hurt yourself!" Hiccup called from below. "Come down now."

"You come up!" Astrid yelled, giggling at the concern on his face.

Astrid had over the past days become obsessed with parkour. She was graceful and acrobatic enough to pull off some of the stunts, but there was always a lingering danger. Hiccup usually held the responsibility of capturing it all in motion, and to make sure his insane best friend didn't hurt herself.

He ran up the stairs of the adjoined buildings. There was a small gap separating them, and Astrid was planning to do a backflip from one end to the other.

"Okay, get ready," she said, as he just made it to the top. She threw him a mischievous look before proceeding into action.

Hiccup didn't have time to protest. She quickly leaped backwards towards the direction of his position. His heart nearly stopped when her foot suddenly stuck. But luckily, she had already made it past the danger zone, and her miscalculation only affected the landing.

He practically ran over to embrace her as she raised up from her sloppy fall. "Are you okay?"

Astrid began to snicker while she returned his hug of relief.

"This is not funny," he objected with a grunt, tightening his arms around her. "You could have gotten seriously hurt!"

"But I wasn't," the blonde replied with a self-satisfied smile.

Hiccup wasn't amused, green eyes frowning at her. "This was the last time. No more!"

She opened her mouth to argue, but was immediately cut off.

"Promise me?" he nearly begged.

Hypnotized by those deep forest emeralds welling up with worry for _her_ , Astrid gave him a small nod.

"Promise."

Hiccup exhaled slowly. "Good," he said, the curve of his mouth teasing a smile, "I couldn't bear to lose you."

Astrid grinned back at him, leaning her forehead against his, eyes twinkling with fondness.

V.

The subtle changes initially went over her head. But slowly she began to notice a shift in her best friend's behavior. He started to dress nicer, putting more effort into his appearance, and even asked for her opinion occasionally.

"Do I look okay?" he asked for the fourth time.

"Do I look okay?" Astrid mocked him in a deep, goofy voice while hiding her childish grin behind the book she was reading.

"Astrid! This is serious," he protested.

Astrid only ended up imitating him again, bursting into fits of giggles at his unimpressed expression.

Hiccup snatched the book, throwing it aside to attack his crackling friend with tickles.

"Stop it!" Astrid laughed, trying to swat his arms away but ended up making herself more vulnerable to his merciless torture.

"Please," she was out of breath, tears leaking from the corner of her eyes, "I'm sorry!"

"Sorry is not good enough," Hiccup retorted, playfully.

"Okay! Okay," Astrid wiped her eyes, sitting up. "You are gorgeous. So good-looking and handsome! I can hardly contain myself when I'm around you," she fanned to herself.

Hiccup smirked slightly for a moment, but then his face suddenly turned sullen and morose.

"What's wrong?" Astrid inquired upon seeing his face fall.

He shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant, but the pout giving him away.

Fortunately, Astrid was always able to see right through him. She bent her head back to meet his eyes.

"You are beautiful, Hiccup," she told him earnestly. "Not just on the outside, but on the inside, too," she placed a tender hand over his heart.

Hiccup grimaced. "Beautiful wasn't exactly what I w-"

"You are hot," Astrid interjected. "Really, really hot."

"Oh?"

"Mhm," she hummed in response.

Hiccup bit his lip to hold back a smile.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to resist.. all of this," he gestured to himself, teasingly.

"Don't overkill it, Haddock," she sassed back, giving him a light punch on the arm.

She then hovered over him to grab her fallen book. His face accidentally planted itself against her chest for a moment, making him blush.

"Where are you headed to anyway?" she asked, leaning back again on the couch, folding her creamy legs underneath her.

Hiccup paused before running a nervous a hand through his hair.

"I'm going to the movies with Camilla," he mumbled. "Just as friends though," he added quickly.

Astrid nodded slowly, trying to concentrate on the written word before her.

"So what movie are you guys seeing?" she dwelled further.

"Err, ah, Deadpool?"

"But you already saw that with me. Twice."

"Well, maybe I wanted to see it again?" he reasoned. "It's a good movie."

Astrid offered him a timid smile. "It is," she agreed.

Hiccup stood up to prepare his departure. As he left the room, Astrid couldn't help the heavy feeling sinking within her.

He never once asked her to come along. Something had changed in their relationship, and she couldn't quite place it.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Next chapter will take place about seven years later.**_


	3. Chapter 2

_Astrid tried sleeping off her drunken state but the endless buzzing in her head continued on mercilessly. Turning towards the small table at her bedside, she reached for her phone._

 _It was past midnight._

 _She remembered wobbling inside her room late that day, and Hiccup had supposedly accompanied her but then left quickly afterwards. Her memory was foggy but the warmth of his lips pressing against her temple had lingered on her skin._

 _Astrid smiled to herself. There were many things she was uncertain of in life but Hiccup Haddock wasn't one of them. If anything, he was the light that often lit up her path. He had supported her through every high and low she had come to experience. Even when she lost herself at times, he gave her some direction again. His calm forest green eyes, always so warm, so vibrant and lov-_

 _An unfamiliar but strong feeling tingled through her then. She found it hard to breathe. The pressure in her head had somewhat lessened, and instead been replaced by an aching inside her chest._

 _Astrid abruptly raised up from her bed, ignoring how off-balance she was and sauntered towards her dresser. As quickly as could, given her current state, she began pulling on a pair of tights. Considering how dark the night seemed, she also made sure to grab a jacket along the way before she left out the front door of her home. Coincidentally, what she had assumed was a jacket happened to be one of Hiccup's old hoodies she had burrowed but never returned to him._

 _Astrid didn't know what had possessed her to rush outside at this hour. Only that she needed to see him. She was tired of holding her feelings back, of hiding them._

 _It was time to speak up._

 _The walk to his house took longer than anticipated because of her unsteady steps. Once she arrived though she quickly dialed his number._

 _"Astrid?" a groggy voice answered._

 _She paused, trying to articulate sentences in her mind, but eventually settled with; "I need to talk to you."_

 _"Can't it wait until tomorrow?" he tried to reason, and she couldn't blame him considering how late it was. "It's urgent," she insisted. "Please hurry up, I'm right outside your house."_

 _Astrid heard him yawn._

 _"Okay."_

 _Her heart nearly leapt when he appeared before her, hair messy and eyes bleary from sleep. She thought he looked adorable in his batman pajama pants. Still a secret dork apparently._

 _Hiccup pulled her close to him, resting an arm around her shoulders. "Are you alright, Ast? Did something happen?"_

 _"I'm fine. More than fine," she said with a shake of her head, smiling at him, relishing in his warmth for a moment._

 _"Hiccup..." she began carefully. "There is something I have been meaning to tell you."_

 _His lips twisted into a sincere smile. "What a coincidence. I, err.. need to tell you something too," he said with a chuckle. It didn't escape her notice when he lifted a hand up to scratch the back of his head, something he usually did when he was feeling particularly vulnerable._

 _"Oh," she paused, nervous excitement suddenly bubbling up inside her. "You go first," she insisted, folding her arms over herself._

 _The clouds were beginning to turn grey above them, and the moist, cold wind prickled against her skin uncomfortably._

 _But she ignored it for the freckled boy before her._

 _She would have tuned out the whole world for him._

 _"Astrid, I think.. I think.." he trailed off, exhaling. She waited patiently for him to continue, heart drumming violently in anticipation. "I think... I'm in love with Camilla," he rushed out at last._

 _The first drops of rainwater began dripping over them. Astrid stared at him. Stunned._

 _Hiccup let out a laugh, shaking his head. "I haven't told her yet of course. I don't know if she even feels the same way... Astrid?"_

 _She blinked. The rain poured harder over her numb form._

 _Suddenly, she stepped forward and hugged him tightly, momentarily unable to respond._

 _The urge to cry grew stronger, she had to take several breathes to stop her voice from cracking as she spoke up at last. "Tell her," she forced out._

 _"Right now? Are you sure?" Hiccup asked timidly. His nasal voice which used to be her favorite sound in the world felt almost deaf to her ears now._

 _Astrid wiped her face quickly before pulling back to regard him with a forced smile. "Go."_

 _Hiccup beamed at her for a moment but then frowned._

 _"Weren't you going to tell me something?"_

 _"It can wait. This can't." She shook her head. "Stop wasting time," her voice cracked slightly now but it went unbeknownst him. "Go," she repeated._

 _He hugged her again before taking off towards his car._

 _As he disappeared from view, Astrid fell to her knees, finally letting the tears escape freely._

 _-.-.-_

When Astrid woke up the next time, it was to a sunrise in the heart of Paris.

She grimaced as she recalled her dream, mind still reeling from the pain of the past. While she rarely thought of _him_ these days, the memories were still deeply ingrained in her mind and her subconsciousness made sure to bring them forward once in a while.

Yawning, she stretched out across the large bed before making her way towards the white mirror table in the room where she grabbed a wooden brush to run through her long, golden locks. Next, she changed out of her silky nighty and into a white summer dress. That was when her eyes flickered over to her phone and she noticed it was blinking with a new text. Biting back a smile, she reached for it expecting it to be from a certain someone. But as she stared at the screen, a frown began to develop.

 _Why aren't you picking up your phone?! - Rebecca_

Astrid quickly dialed her number, expecting it to go to voice mail as it usually did, but much to her surprise, Ruff answered straight away.

"Fucking finally!" she heard her best friend exclaim on the other end.

"Good morning to you too, Ruff, " Astrid replied sarcastically.

"Okay, don't get sassy with me, Hoff," Ruff retorted playfully. "I need to know exactly when your flight will be landing. Heather is sick so Tuff and I decided we are going to pick you guys up instead."

"Actually, there has been made some change of plans," Astrid studied the golden band on her left hand, "I'll be coming alone."

"Seriously Astrid?" Ruff exclaimed in a teasing tone, "I'm beginning to think this mysterious fiancé of yours is just a figment of your imagination. He does sound kinda too good to be true."

Astrid rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless. "He has some last minute business to take care of, Ruff. He will be there for the wedding," she promised, twirling a finger through her hair consciously.

"Oh, he better be!" Ruff chuckled.

* * *

 _ **A/N** **:**_ _ **Sorry for the long delay. This fanfic had originally five pre-written chapters ready but they were all accidentally deleted by mistake and I lost all my motivation to try writing them again.**_

 _ **If the interest is still there, I will try to return to this story. It will still follow the same plot in the grand schemes, but there has been made some changes, like who Astrid's**_ ** _fiancé_** _ **is for instance. This is a Hiccup/Astrid story but their coming together will not be a smooth ride. They will face multiple obstacles along the way.**_


	4. Chapter 3

_"Can you see me now? Or is the picture still distorted?"_

 _She could see him frowning at her through his webcam._

 _"Hiccup?" she asked again. "Is it w-"_

 _"It's working," he interrupted her. "What... what did you do to your hair? It's so.. dark," he quipped, looking at her with wide, bewildered eyes._

 _Astrid grinned at his reaction. "I wanted to try something new. So what do you think? It used to be royal blue just two days ago."_

 _Hiccup nearly chocked. "Blue? You dyed your hair blue?"_

 _She laughed. "Hey, at least it wasn't green like Ruff's."_

 _"I think all of you have lost your minds over there," Hiccup laughed despite himself, making her smile in return._

 _It had been a month since she and Ruff started their exchange program in London. They had also done some traveling and generally kept busy. Astrid had not found the time to Skype with Hiccup until now. He looked good and healthy, and in the end that was all that mattered. At least that's what she had told herself._

 _"Black looks.. different."_

 _Not the response she expected. "Good different, or bad different?" she urged him on softly._

 _He shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't know. You look like a different person honestly."_

 _"Oh."_

 _Well.. it was kinda what she had been going for after all._

 _"So, what's Europe like?" he changed the subject. "_ _Have you gotten used to all the accents yet?"_

 _-.-.-_

The plane ride wore her out but seeing her childhood friends again reignited something within her.

Astrid dropped her hand-baggage on the ground and practically ran toward Ruff and Tuff. They both returned her embrace with just as much enthusiasm. Tuffnut even lifted her off the ground and spun her around until they were both dizzy from laughing.

"I missed you so much!" she exclaimed.

"We missed you too, Hoff," Tuff pinched her cheek. Astrid swatted at his hand but couldn't help the grin that broke out.

"It's really good to be back."

The twins led her to their car and Astrid felt a surge of nostalgia hit her in that moment.

They managed to arrive at Heather's house within an hour and soon Astrid found herself tackled to the ground by her other best friend.

"I can't believe you are here!" Heather cried. "It's been what, seven years since I last saw you? Oh my God, Astrid! How could you stay away for this long?"

Astrid closed her eyes, feeling a heavy emotion well up inside her. "It was never a part of the plan. I was going to come back but..." she trailed off.

"Yeah, I get it," Heather nodded in understanding. "I'm just glad you are here now, and you better be staying for my wedding!"

"Oh I am! That's mainly the reason I decided to come in the first place," Astrid replied with a chuckle. "I wouldn't want to miss out on my best friend's wedding."

A bitter memory suddenly flashed through her mind. The invitation to another wedding she had received almost five years ago. She had ended up tossing it away without any second regard, and that was the last she had heard of _him_ and his betrothed.

"So where is the lucky groom?" Astrid cleared her throat. "I still can't believe you are getting married to-"

 _"I can hear you, you know,"_ Scott's loud voice cut her off. Astrid whipped around to see him standing in the doorway, arms folded across his broad chest.

She ran up to him and he met her halfway, sweeping her in a bear hug.

"You look really good, actually," she said with a frown after pulling back. Heather tried to hide her laughter under her hand.

Scott shrugged, smirking. "What can I say? I clean up well," he winked at her.

Astrid looked over at Heather, perking an eyebrow at her as in; _'Are you seriously marrying this guy?'_ Heather merely shrugged in response.

Scott and Tuff helped Astrid bring her luggage up to the guest room, and then the whole group decided to head out for dinner.

Astrid wasn't sure what to expect from this visit but something told her she was going to have an emotional journey ahead of her.

 _-.-.-_

 _"Cami!"_ Hiccup yelled, looking down at his watch impatiently. They were going to be late for their flight. _"Cami, where are you? We need to leave."_

With a sigh he began searching through the house and eventually found her sitting underneath the stairs, doodling something in her mother's faded, old book.

Hiccup knelt down before her. "Cami you need to go and get dressed, or else we will be late. Don't you want to see Poppa again?"

His four year old looked up at him suddenly. "We are going to Poppa's house?" she said excitedly.

Hiccup nodded with a smile.

* * *

 **A/N: I thought I should update this. :)**

 **Let me know in the reviews if you are still reading.**


	5. Chapter 4

Shortly after getting married to Camilla, Hiccup moved to the city to start a new life.

Berk had not held much appeal after his best friend left. There were memories ingrained in every corner of the town, haunting him. In the end he decided it was best to leave everything behind. The way _she_ had done it.

He still commuted back and forth for a while until he got a new job. Once that tie broke, Hiccup more or less lost contact with his childhood friends save for his cousin Scott who dropped by from time to time to check up on him.

And then there was his father Stephan who had fallen ill. Hiccup tried to persuade him into moving in with him but his father was as stubborn as they came. He refused to leave Berk behind. So that left Stephan as the only connection Hiccup had to his birthplace.

"I still think you should consider it Henry," Stephan interrupted his son's inner musings.

They sat in the living room of the Haddock mansion playing chess while Cami watched cartoons on her tablet in the background. "I don't think Scott is suited for a job like this. Besides, _you_ are my son and I want you to have it."

Hiccup sighed, tired of going down the same road over and over again. "Can we not talk about this right now? Please?"

His father shot him a disappointed look as expected but luckily dropped the subject this time.

"How was the flight?" he asked gruffly, moving his piece ahead. _"Check."_

"Long."

Stephan hummed in response. "So Scott's getting married next week."

"I heard," Hiccup said in a monotone voice. "I'm not going."

Stephan chuckled.

"You can't shut the rest of the world out Henry. Sooner or later, you are going to have to face people."

 _"Checkmate,"_ Hiccup moved his final piece forward, ending the game, and then abruptly stood up from his seat.

"I'm going to head to bed now," he announced. "Come on Cami. Lets go and get changed," he gestured to his daughter.

Stephan watched them stride away with a sad glint in his eyes.

-.-.-

 _Hiccup and Astrid were just at the shy age of fourteen when Stephan got the happiest surprise in his life._

 _It had been father's day and since Hiccup had not known what to get his father, Astrid had come up with the idea of making snow angels and writings sentimental greetings in the snow._

 _"There. All done now," she said with a gleeful smile, brushing the excessive snow off her clothes._

 _Hiccup looked a little uncertain._

 _"Are you sure he will like it?"_

 _"He will love it," she insisted. "You are his son Hiccup. He will at the very least appreciate the gesture."_

 _Somehow Astrid's words always made him feel a little better, and in the end, she was always right._

 _His father was overjoyed when he was met with the beautiful view of a winter wonderland outside his window._

 _Hiccup would hear about it for years to come._

 _-.-.-_

"Wait, didn't you already pick out the flowers?" Astrid moaned as she entered a flower boutique with Heather and her cousin Emilia. "I thought we were going for smoothies now."

"You are the one who volunteered to come along," Heather retorted with a smile. "Get used to this Hoff. You are up next."

Astrid groaned. "Ugh. Don't remind me."

"Wow, don't hold back your excitement on my account," Heather laughed. "Good thing your dearly bethroded can't hear you right now, for one might get the impression you have something against weddings."

Astrid grimaced. "It's not that I'm not excited. I am. _Very excited_ ," she insisted. Heather merely laughed again.

"Yeah, you sound very convincing."

Astrid made no further comment on that, and looked through the window at a smoothie and juice bar on the other side of the mall. She turned to Heather again who was in the middle of a lengthy conversation with her cousin and the shop owner. "I'll be right back," she told them.

The bar was almost completely empty save for a little child sitting by herself in the corner, drawing something in her book. Astrid didn't notice it at first but the young girl was crying.

While waiting for her order, Astrid sauntered over to her.

"Hey, are you alright?" she asked her softly, feeling slightly out of her element speaking to someone who was basically a toddler. "Where are your parents?"

The girl sniffled. "My daddy said he would be back again soon but he is not here yet."

Astrid frowned. _What kind of irresponsible father just abandons his child like this?_

She sat down next to the girl and tried to comfort her. "What did your father tell you before he left?"

The girl hiccuped, still crying. "He said he forgot something in the car and he will be back again soon."

That still didn't give this father the right to just go from his daughter in such a public place. Was he ignorant to the dangers he had exposed her to? Oh, this guy was going to get a piece of Astrid's mind.

"Don't worry, sweetie," she assured the auburn haired girl. "I will wait with you until he comes back, alright?"

The girl nodded, wiping her face.

Astrid smiled at her, her gaze falling to the sketchbook in her arms.

"What are you drawing? Can I have a look?"

The girl held the book up for Astrid to see. It had a drawing of a woman dressed as an angel. It looked pretty impressive to be done by someone so young. Astrid gasped. "Woah! _You are really talented_. That's your mom, right?"

This emitted a smile from her. "Yes," she giggled. "You are really pretty."

Astrid felt her cheeks heat up at the unexpected compliment. "Uh, thanks. So are you," she said with a beam.

Her order had now arrived but there was still no sign of a potential father nearby.

"How old are you?" the girl asked.

" _Really_ old," Astrid answered with a laugh. "What about you?"

The girl held up four fingers and Astrid counted them. "One, two, three.. four. _Four years old._ Wow!" Astrid exclaimed in excitement, igniting more laughter from the girl.

Astrid could see Heather exiting the flower boutique with her cousin.

"Have you shown your mom your drawing yet?" she asked, trying to keep her occupied so she wouldn't start crying again. Maybe Heather would know how to get in contact with the parents.

"No," the girl muttered, sounding sad again but then her face suddenly lit up, "Aunt Heather!" she called out with a cheerfully.

Astrid frowned and then turned around to see Heather rushing towards them, her eyes wide and nervous.

"Astrid!" Heather nearly shouted. "Astrid, we need to leave. Now."

"But-"

"Help Emilia take these to the car, hurry up."

Astrid opened her mouth to protest. "What about-" she pointed at the little girl who looked infinitely better now that Heather was here.

"I'll take care of it," Heather interrupted her. She sighed. "Astrid please do as I say," she pleaded. "I will explain everything to you later in the car."

Astrid eyed her with suspicion but nodded at last. "Fine." She reluctantly stood up from her seat and then turned to the little girl one last time to wave her goodbye.

It didn't escape her notice that there was something eerily familiar about her eyes. As Astrid began walking away, she looked back once more to see Heather taking out her phone to dial someone.

.-.-.

Hiccup ran up the escalator stairs, his heart drumming with fear and anxiety.

He had forgotten his car keys inside the car and that had of course led to a series of unfortunate and very time-consuming events. He had not expected it would have taken this long and was now really regretting leaving Cami by herself at the table. _How could he have been so stupid?_

Hiccup let out a big sigh of relief when he saw that his daughter was still sitting where he had previously left her, but she also appeared to have some company. Hiccup gulped, preparing himself for the lecture he was about to get by his cousin's soon-to-be wife.

Heather stood up abruptly as she watched him approach. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she growled at him in anger. "Seriously, what were you thinking Hiccup?"

Hiccup opened his mouth to explain but the words simply died in his throat. "Clearly, I wasn't thinking," he admitted and then knelt before Cami, taking her small hands in his. "I'm so, so sorry, sweetie. I promise this will never happen again."

Heather snorted. "It better not," she warned and then started to make her leave. Apparently she was in a rush.

"Thank you," Hiccup called after her and then gathered Cami up in his arms.

He was probably going to get an earful about this from Scott too, and not to mention his father.

.-.-.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Hiccup is not a bad father, he is just going through a rough time right now. And yes Cami is Scott and Heather's niece.**_

 _ **Thank you to everyone who reviews. It's not easy to know if people are still reading otherwise. Reviews are always very much appreciated.**_


	6. Chapter 5

"So I just got off the phone with Scott," Stephan blurted out the moment Hiccup entered through the front-door of his father's villa with little Cami in his arms.

"Henry?"

Hiccup ignored his father's inquiry. He placed his daughter down on the couch and then quickly headed back to his car again to unload groceries.

Stephan sighed, calling his granddaughter over instead. Cami complied, seating herself on his lap. "Tell Poppa what happened," Stephan asked her with an encouraging smile. Cami enthusiastically laid out all the details, even mentioning the girl that kept her company while she waited.

Stephan chuckled at her childish excitement. "Your father can be so irresponsible sometimes," he muttered, shaking his head while staring into her green eyes with fondness. "He is lucky to have such a brave little girl though." He patted Cami on the head affectionately and hugged her.

When Stephan lifted his head up again, he noticed Hiccup standing in the doorway, looking morose and guilty. "Cami, my dear, why don't you go and fetch Poppa his sweater from his room, eh?" Stephan asked his granddaughter.

As Cami ascended upstairs, Stephan walked over to his son and then to both of their shock, pulled him into a hug. Hiccup froze in surprise before awkwardly patting his father back.

"And she is just as lucky to have you," Stephan assured him. "Everyone makes mistakes, don't beat yourself over it, son," he pulled back, resting his large hands on the younger man's shoulders. "Just make sure it never happens again."

Hiccup gave him a slow nod, and then followed his daughter's trail to the second floor. Stephan watched him go with a rueful smile.

"Life has not been kind to either of you," Stephan mumbled to himself. "Let us hope the future has better things in hold."

-.-.-

"I don't like being kept in the dark, Heath," Astrid groaned at her best friend as they sat by the dining table, going through the guest list. "You know that, both of you!" she said, looking over at Rebecca with a frown. "Please. Tell me the truth."

Heather and Rebecca continued to share glances with one another and it only made Astrid more further aggravated. She couldn't fantom what the reasoning behind this secrecy could be.

"Astrid, a lot has happened after you left," Heather attempted to explain after she set her white tablet aside. "Everything is different now," she said with a smile that didn't meet her eyes. "We are not kids anymore."

Ruff nodded along, looking more serious than Astrid had ever seen her. "It's for your own good that you don't know. In a way you should be thanking us, we are sparing you for all that unnecessary guilt."

Astrid stared at them with intent for a moment until her eyes suddenly widened as a thought crossed her mind. "This doesn't this have anything to do with.." she trailed off uncertainly, leaving the question up in the air for her friends to either deny or confirm.

Heather sighed, her green eyes looking dim and tired. She opened her mouth to address Astrid's implications but was suddenly interrupted by the doorbell.

"That will be my aunt," she grinned, sounding oddly relieved as she hurried away to answer. "Scott! Help Aunt Becky unload her luggage!" she yelled at her fiancé who was playing video games with Tuff upstairs.

Astrid and Ruff assisted Heather's aunt into the living room and helped her settle down comfortably. The rest of the evening was spent on more never-ending wedding preparations. It seemed Astrid appeared to have let the former subject go for now.

-.-.-

It was early morning when Hiccup sat in a cafe, sipping on his latte while he waited for his company to arrive. Within an half hour, he spotted a silver Mercedes parking up outside.

Scott beamed at him after he sank down on the chair across. "I hope you don't mind that I brought Tuff along," he said, pointing towards the man in question. Tuff walked into coffee shop but pretended to ignore Hiccup's presence.

"Isn't he going to sit down?" Hiccup muttered. Scott sighed. "He is still mad at you about last time," he mumbled and then turned to his best friend with a scowl. "Tuff, get over here!"

Tuff eventually complied but still regarded Hiccup with coldness, refusing to look at him.

"I can't believe you are back again so soon. I didn't think I was going to see you until next summer. Is everything alright with Uncle Stephan?" Scott asked his cousin with a frown. "How is Cami doing? I didn't mean to tell on you, by the way. I swear, Heather forced me to do it."

Hiccup waved a dismissive hand. "Don't worry about it," he eased off Scott's guilt. "Cami is fine, and Dad is doing better for now so I'm not sure how long we are going to stay. Besides, I'm planning to enroll Cami in kindergarten soon."

It was the one thing Cami had been looking forward to all year. She usually didn't get to interact much with other kids around her age. It would be a nice change for her.

"So who is usually with her when you are off to work?" Tuff prompted quietly, surprising Hiccup with his sudden pique of interest.

"I hire a baby-sitter, and sometimes.. mom drops by to help," Hiccup answered with a shrug, eyeing Tuff curiously. It was the first words he had spoken to him in months.

Tuff snorted, finally making eye-contact with him. "You know, we could have helped you out if you had not moved so far away. You wouldn't have needed to pay strangers to look after your daughter."

"Tuff!" Scott scoffed. "This is not why I brought you here. Leave Hiccup be, he has had a rough enough time already."

Hiccup shook his head. "It's fine, Scott. Tuff has every right to be mad," he acknowledged. "We did leave without a goodbye and that wasn't cool."

"What Hiccup said," Tuff agreed, looking smug.

Scott rolled his eyes but still wore an expression of concern having had more insight into the situation. "Considering what you went through that is completely understandable. But Tuff is right about one thing," Scott mused and Hiccup quirked an eyebrow at him. "You need to let us help you."

Before Hiccup could voice his reply, Tuff interrupted. "You should come to the wedding! It's going to be grand, festive and Ast-" he tried to quip in but Scott coughed loudly, elbowing him in the ribs.

Hiccup seemed to actually mull over Tuff words for a moment, the slip up going completely over his head. "I admit, I wasn't initially planning to.. but maybe that's not such a bad idea? It might do Cami good to catch up with everyone."

Scott shot him a nervous smile.

"What?" Hiccup asked when met with silence.

"Don't get me wrong, you are more than welcome attend," Scott clarified, although still appearing a tint weary of the idea. "It's just that.."

He paused.

"There is _something_ you should know."

-.-.-

Astrid stared at the diamond ring on her finger as she laid flat on her back. Heather's wedding jitters were beginning to affect her as well even if her own wedding wasn't to occur until next fall. She sometimes worried if she would ever be ready in time.

Hiccup seemed to have been ready almost fresh off college. Astrid had often stayed awake at night, wondering about her childhood friend and if he ever regretted his rash decisions. He had been so madly in love with Camilla the last she saw of him, and it was hard to imagine Hiccup appearing otherwise now.

He and Camilla were probably still living like newlyweds after all these years, and Astrid hoped the same kind of love awaited her in the future.

* * *

 ** _A/N: Quick update. Happy Thanksgiving!_**

 ** _Leave a review please._**


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